The Papacy and Church Councils
Synod of Elvira The synod at Elvira, during the fourth century, opposed eating, marriage and other dealings with Jews (canons 49, 50) and forbade Jews from holding any public office in which they could punish Christians, and forbade them to use slaves (canon 14). The Council of Nicea "For it is unbecoming beyond measure that on this holiest of festivals we should follow the customs of the Jews. Henceforth let us have nothing in common with this odious people...We ought not, therefore, to have anything in common with the Jews...our worship follows a...more convenient course...we desire dearest brethren, to separate ourselves from the detestable company of the Jews...How, then, could we follow these Jews, who are almost certainly blinded.", statement by The Council of Nicea, 325. Pope Gregory VII Pope Gregory VII in 1078 decreed that Jews could not hold office or be superiors to Christians. Third Council of the Lateran During 1179, Pope Alexander III presided and over 290 bishops attended the Third Council of the Lateran. Canon 26, a law that was a result by the council, banned Jews from employing Christian servants. Pope Innocent III and The Fourth Lateran Council "... the Jews, by their own guilt, are consigned to perpetual servitude because they crucified the Lord ... As slaves rejected by God, in whose death they wickedly conspired, they shall by the effect of this very action, recognize themselves as the slaves of those whom Christ's death set free ...", Pope Innocent III, 1205. The Fourth Lateran Council, in 1215, was gathered by Pope Innocent III. Some laws or canons resulting from the council were aimed at the Jews. Canon 68 forced Jews to wear a Jewish badge and hat. Canon 69 disqualified Jews from holding public offices. Pope Nicholas III The Edict of Pope Nicholas III, in 1278, ordered the attendance of Jews at conversion sermons. Pope Eugenius IV In 1442, Pope Eugenius IV ordered the Jews to be prohibited from the building of synagogues, money-lending for interest, holding public office, and testifying against Christians. Pope Paul IV and Cum nimis absurdum Pope Paul IV’s 1555 bull, cum nimis absurdum, placed more restrictions on the Jewish people. Its name comes from the bull's first words in Latin. (English: “'Since it is absurd' and utterly inconvenient that the Jews, who through their own fault were condemned by God to eternal slavery…”). The bull renewed all canonical restrictions against the Jews and Pope Paul IV also restricted them in their commercial conduct, forbade them to have only one synagogue in any city, enforced the wearing of the Jewish hat, refused to permit a Jew to be titled "signor", and ordered that they live in ghettos. In 1559, Pope Paul IV placed the Talmud on the list of banned books. Pope Pius V In 1569, Pope Pius V ordered the removal of the Jews from his territory in 90 days. "The Jewish people fell from the heights because of their faithlessness and condemned their Redeemer to a shameful death. Their godlessness has assumed such forms that, for the salvation of our own people, it becomes necessary to prevent their disease. Besides usury, through which Jews everywhere have sucked dry the property of impoverished Christians, they are accomplices of thieves and robbers; and the most damaging aspect of the matter is that they allure the unsuspecting through magical incantations, superstition, and witchcraft to the Synagogue of Satan and boast of being able to predict the future. We have carefully investigated how this revolting sect abuses the name of Christ and how harmful they are to those whose life is threatened by their deceit. On account of these and other serious matters, and because of the gravity of their crimes which increase day to day more and more, We order that, within 90 days, all Jews in our entire earthly realm of justice - in all towns, districts, and places - must depart these regions. After this time limit shall all at the present or in the future, who dwell or wander into that city or other already mentioned, be affected, their property confiscated and handed over to the Siscus, and they shall becomes slaves of the Roman Church, live in perpetual servitude and the Roman Church shall have the same rights over them as the remaining worldly lords over slaves and property.", Pope Pius V. Pope Pius VI Pope Pius VI issued an anti-Jewish proclamation restoring anti-Jewish legislation in 1775 called Editto sopra gli ebrei, "Edict over the Hebrew". Some of the 24 clauses in the Editto are that Jews are condemned to death if they spend the night outside a ghetto and studying the Talmud is forbidden. Pope Pius IX Pope Pius IX called Jews “dogs of which there are too many present in Rome, howling and disturbing us everywhere”. In 1848, Pius IX forced the Jews of Rome back into the old ghetto. He ordered the kidnapping and forced conversion of a 6-year-old Jewish boy, Edgardo Levi Mortara. __notoc__ __noeditsection__